21 orders issued by the military so far

BANGKOK, 23 May 2014 – The National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC) has issued 21 orders on Thailand’s TV Pool so far, including the imposition of a nationwide curfew and the temporary suspension of the 2007 Constitution.

The Army announced the seizure of power at 4:30pm on Thursday. More than a hundred politicians including caretaker PM Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn and former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have been summoned to report to the military. Failure to comply would result in an arrest.

All TV and radio channels have been taken off the air but the content of army-run Channel 5 TV is still being broadcast. The Constitution has also been suspended with the exception of Section 2 mandating a democratic form of government with HM the King as the head of state. The Senate, courts, and other independent organizations are told to perform their duties as usual.

However, schools, colleges, and universities have been ordered closed for three days from Friday.

All social media operators and users were also urged to stop posting any messages that might lead to social conflict. Any suspected violations will result in the posters being summoned for further questioning.